Attack on builder unwarranted
I am writing in response to P.D. Sterling’s viewpoints on the Boulevard Builder’s Palo Alto townhome project being built at Hall and Douglas in Oak Lawn (Letters to the Editor, “Builder’s plans don’t fit Perry Heights,” Dallas Voice, Oct. 6, 2006).
First of all, I will only briefly comment on Mr. Sterling’s barrage of criticisms against Boulevard Builders clearing the land of post-Victorian homes in the neighborhood.
It is unfortunate that these post-Victorian homes were cleared for this development. However, years of neglect by the owners of these homes were the root cause of destruction, not Boulevard Builders. The drug dealers, prostitutes and homeless destroyed these homes.
I would imagine that businesses and home owners throughout this area are very happy to see a developer come into the neighborhood to build beautiful homes that will be occupied by tax paying citizens.
But my most important critique of Mr. Sterling’s note was his “No gay people allowed” statement in response to Boulevard Builders featuring two straight couples on the advertisement. This was totally unwarranted.
I can tell you that my partner and I just recently purchased one of these beautiful townhomes. I cannot even express how open and amazing it was to work with these builders. From the time we stepped into the sales office to ask questions, my partner and I felt so welcomed. There was never a time where we ever felt that being a gay couple was an issue. In fact, it was made quite clear from our first questions that the builder was very adamant about the community of townhomes being occupied by a diversity of people that reflected the neighborhood and city.
Mr. Sterling should stop by someday to do a little more research on this development before throwing stones. He should be aware that the developer will not even release all the townhomes for sale at this time. Unlike most developments in the city right now, this builder did not want investors coming in to scoop up townhomes just to resell. The builder wants actual people to live and give back to this neighborhood.
This was just one reason why we made the decision for this to be our future home.
You know, we have enough people and companies that are truly outright against our community. Let’s focus our arguments toward those establishments and people Exxon, Bush, etc. Let’s not cry foul when it is not warranted, especially when it comes to a builder that I truly believe wants us to be a part of their community.
Pictures of straight couples in advertisement does not tell me that a company is against us!
Roman Smith & John Cramer
Dallas
Society’s responsibility in Foley case
Much has been said and written in the last two weeks about former Congressman Mark Foley. While his actions cannot be condoned as appropriate behavior, and should not be, there is culpability to be shared by more than Foley alone.
He has taken full responsibility for his transgressions, and rightly so. But it seems to me that we as a society should also take responsibility for being part of this problem.
Foley’s having revealed that he is a gay man certainly does not excuse his actions, yet it brings to bear responsibility on a society that drove him into a closet in the first place. Foley has lived in a world in which most churches condemn his identity and exclude him; he is a member of a political party that has openly harangued gay men like him and spent countless hours and millions of dollars driving him back into the closet; and he has spent 52 years hiding his real self from all of us for fear that we, too, would reject him.
I hope Mr. Foley can find some comfort in knowing that God’s grace and forgiveness are bigger than his transgressions.
The Rev. Jerry Cook
Dallas
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, October 13, 2006.